Burning Cold
by Diana the Hybrid
Summary: (Tf2 "OC's?" Technically?) So anyway, we have a Scout on team Blu, and a Pyro on team Red; running a muck on some wintery base. What happens when they have to work together to stay warm and survive? You could say they are so cold to each other… it burns. (Rated M to be safe.)(Both Scout/Pyro Pov) *Still alive!*
1. First Encounter

**_Here goes an attempt to make something decent, enjoy~ Critiques welcomed._**

* * *

The steady crunch of snow underfoot, swirls of white raining down. The firebug was trudging along in the knee deep drifts, walking ever slower as the white flakes melted on its eye lenses, making what little visibility available virtually useless. Once in a while it would blast its flamethrower; just a short spurt of flame; to melt a small bubble of warmth and allow it to see its ever narrowing path. It kept looking side to side, its stride shortening progressively were it could see the cliffs edge. Looking up at the swirling sky, the stars were hidden in the storm. It shook its head; shoulders slumped in weary exhaustion and disgust. The suit kept out flames, but not the cold.

It checked its ammunition for its precious flame maker and there was not much left. It paused for a moment, hearing a faint announcement on the wind, almost drowned out in the howling of the ever growing snow storm. It was getting late, but the Pyro decided to press on a bit, the battle wasn't over yet.

A few paces forward, the ground gave out clean under, as it gave out a muffled cry, smothered in the night. Flailing wildly, it grabbed its ax, and swung, hearing the thud as it connected to something solid buried under snow. Suspended in midair; dangling on the cliff side by its ax handle, its wheezy breathing rattling in its mask. Whimpering softly it hauled its bulk back onto the narrow path, pressing its back against the frigged rocks, shuddering from relief of its narrow escape.

 _Maybe I should head back_ …

* * *

"Cant believe 'I'm out in this damn snow storm."

The runner kept blinking furiously as the flakes stung his eyes. His lengthy stride significantly shorter much to his annoyance. "Forget this." He shouted into the white. He held his breath before letting it go in a milky colored huff. He looked back in the general direction of his base and swore he could make out the Solider, practically wading in the snowdrifts. The old war hardened nutcase seemed rather sluggish too. The Scout snorted and proceeded forward into neutral territory. _If he's over today's shit, them I'm WAY over it_.

His stomach grumbled and he glared ruefully at it as it continued to complain. "Man I could eat a whole firkin horse" he moaned, debating reaching into his bag for his last can of Crit-a-Cola, wondering if it was even still liquid in this intense cold, when a static-y announcement made its way into his headpiece.

 **"5 minutes left in the mission. 5 minutes."**

 _Looks like that can will have to wait_ .Scout sighed, the cold sucking the air clean from his lungs. "Might as well make one last push" he muttered, shifting the weight on his back slightly and taking off jogging again.

The wind howled and bit at his face, and he decided to take cover at a rock formation. Adjusting his scarf to offer a little more protection he rounded the corner full speed, knowing a path behind it that leads almost right up to the Reds front door.

That's when he ran headfirst into the enemy Pyro.


	2. Overtime

The still trembling Pyro's breath hitched as the world slammed into a temporary slow motion; the enemy Scout rounding the corner, gun raised, recognition setting a fire in his eyes as he started to aim and his finger curled around the trigger.

The firebug swiveled its flamethrower in a wide arch, the flames licking out of its fiery mouth, watching it bite down on his arm and slowly devour his sleeve.

His mouth opened in a yell lost on the wind, the fire maker could almost see the bullets exit the barrel and wiz past its mask, feeling the prick of the shells biting into its leg.

Swiveling its gaze down it saw the lifeblood of its flamethrower dripping into the snow, the liquid fire lost and useless to it now.

"OH JEZUUUS!" The scout shouted as the sudden heat engulfed him. He stumbled backwards away from the red demon before him, loosing his footing and falling back into the snow. The angry hiss of ice putting out the flames left him rattled but relieved as his sleeve took the worst of the fires wrath.

Wide eyed he looked up to see the Pyro advancing, its fireman's ax raised to swing.

Scrambling to his feet he ducked under the blow it delivered, floundering for his bat but it was swallowed in the snow.

He looked up and came directly to the lenses of the demon thing, his own face reflected back in the glass; and lashed out with his gloved fist.

The glass shattered in its frame as its head twisted back, ax falling over the edge of the snowy cliff. It screamed in a high pitch wail of agony, followed by the sound of rage as it clutched its broken lens like a pierced eye.

 _Shit shit come on, come on_! The Scout took those precious seconds to find his trusty bat, and turned the tables, having it raised and ready to strike his prone opponent.

The Pyro staggered, the bat coming down clean on its shoulder, forcing it to one knee, a muffled shout leaking from its respirator.

Scouts victory was short lived as it howled in defiance and lunged for the runners legs, bringing him face first into a pile of snow and shoving his face in deeper.

They rolled, punched, hell the Scout even tried to bite the damn thing, gasping for air whenever he could.

Lungs burning, chest heaving he tried to straddle it so he could give it the ol' right hook, but it rolled free, leaving him half hanging in thin air. He blinked and saw the cliff side under his nose. He screamed, kicking back; desperately trying to back away from the cliff's edge.

Both teams know all to well falling over the edge would mean certain death; respawn would be out of range if they hit the bottom, and the odds of landing on a ledge on a good day were so small that you'd be good as gone.

An ash covered boot kicked him right between the eyes and the world spun as his head rolled back in the snow.

"SUNUVA." he hissed eyes scrunched up, watering uncontrollably; vaguely seeing the devil rise to its feet, unsteadily.

"How'dya like me now!?" Scout spat as a little blood trickled from his mouth and he kicked out with both legs, ready to end it.

The firebugs footing gave out under itself at the blow, its lower half vanished over the edge of the cliff, and into the storm.

Scouts cocky grin fell as the gloved hand clamped down tight on his ankle at the last second. He twisted and clawed at the snow but found no handholds, gravity pulling them both down to the sharp rocks below.

"No No NO NO **NO NO** ** _NO_** **!** " he screamed, his voice rising higher and higher as he felt himself start to fall.

His headset cackled to life as his hands slipped and clutched thin air. 

**_"_** ** _OVERTIME"_**


	3. Cold Panic

The wind continued its incessant howling. A long monotone droning sound that was relentless to the ear and mentally taxing to focus on.

 _Damn… what happened?_

Groaning beneath the mask, they coughed, struggling to get air in and blinking furiously as though it felt like they were being stabbed repeatedly from the cold wind.

 _Aw shit, one of the lenses shattered._

It let out a weak wheezy laugh as a vague sensation of all its limbs could be felt.

 _Kinda feels like the time sniper accidentally hit me with his van…_

The Pyro started to roll onto its side when it let out a low hiss, before clutching its arm. Blinking furiously to clear the black numb haze it saw the source of pain.

A familiar wooden handled ax… its own weapon turned traitor in the fall.

 _To add insult to injury…_

Huffing with effort, it rolled the other way, prying the cold steel from the gaping wound; the movement sent out a fresh spurt of blood, chilling the deep frozen tear in flesh and fabric.

The wind howled louder, seeming to lick at its arm leaving a bitterly numb ache.

 _I can't stay out here, its already hard enough to move._

The cold was seeping in faster by the second, snow following it and melting, leaving a chilly puddle in each boot.

After several painfully slow moments it finally stood, though shakily, collecting its bloodied ax in its good hand. It sighed in relief finding its flare gun still somehow holstered on its belt. Eyes tracing the rocks up as high as it could see in the storm the Pyro could feel its hopes sink lower and lower.

 _That's way too far to climb up, even with two good arms in good conditions…_

 _To far for help to come…_

It suddenly lowered its head from its craning position, clutching its own temple.

Things were starting to spin and swirl.

 _Oh shit no… no don't panic… damn it don't pass out…_

It rested for a moment against the rocks, feeling a wave of dizziness overtake it. Breathing heavily it prayed for it to pass.

 _Maybe… maybe I can send a flare up… when this damn storms over… yea.. yea… now to stay warm… you're a bloody pyro-tecnition… think damn it._

Clutching its arm leaning against the wall trembling, it raised its head to the bleak landscape.

 _Best bets probably to stick to the rocks…_

Feeling frozen to the core the fire bug began its sluggish pace; leaving a red trail behind it that was quickly covered by a new blanket of ice.

 _Stay warm… find help… medic… medic can help… stay alive till then…_

The Red member made its way closer to the cliffs, resting often – forced to wait for a spasm of pain to pass, clutching its arm and biting its tongue to keep from screaming.

Breathing heavily it started to cry, a gut wrenching sob that echoed strangely in its broken respirator.

 _I can't even feel the damn bullets in my leg… I'm going to die here alone… utterly alone and frozen…_

Some time had passed before the hysteria left the firebug, though its breathing was still labored.

 _I wonder if the others even know what happened yet…_

Squinting out the shattered eye piece it scanned its limited horizon. Spying a cluster of rock not terribly far off it started towards it. One slow labored step at a time a small bubble of warmth spread through its chest

 _Maybe_ _I can find a cave…_ _maybe there is a rock slab I can curl under… worse case I can try to build an igloo or something…_

 _Maybe I can find_ …

 _The Scout..._

* * *

 _AN: I hate to break immersion like this, but I wanted to say thank you to those of you who have kept with this story or recently found it. Truth be told its recent attention is what helped me resolve to try again to continue and finish this. I didn't want to abandon it in the first place but it just seemed to have lost some of its life, but to see at least a few people enjoy it has helped reignite the thought process so- here I am. Again, I thank you all who have commented, liked, followed and what not, because honestly I'm not sure how you found this lil thing to begin with. xD I hope to deliver a good story in due time._


	4. Hypothermia

_A nightmare… its gotta be…_

 _Falling…_

 _I remember falling…_

The cold started to register faintly, the wind caressing his exposed back.

 _This isn't my bed…_

 _God it hurts to move…_

His earpiece was on crooked, the microphone bent, broken and sparking, giving off static- Nothing but white noise to match the white landscape.

 _Did I hear footprints?_

 _My minds gotta be playing tricks on me…_

He tried to flip himself right side up, but the snow kept hold of him, smothering him, slowly encasing him in ice.

He buried his face deeper into his scarf, feeling a numbness creep over him- to tired and spent to care.

 _Just a dream… I'll….. Wake up soon._

Something jostled him, a low moan escaping from his lips.

 _"Doc? Is that you_?" he breathed shakily through scarf and snow.

A pair of hands griped him and flipped him over, cold air rushed into his lungs.

"Everything's so cold doc… so cold" he strained to whispered, his lashes frozen shut.

He felt something snake under his arm and curled around his waist.

 _Everything's… heavy…_

 _Gotta…_

 _Stay…._

 _Awake_ _._ _..._


End file.
